[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 169 (Thursday, October 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6778-S6779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, this year has seen a huge number of 
powerful storms and hurricanes both on the Atlantic seaboard and in the 
gulf. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and now Michael have 
wrought severe damages. According to

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NOAA, 2017 was the most expensive year on record for disasters in the 
United States. At some point, we have to acknowledge that the intensity 
of these storms is much greater than in past years and is a symptom of 
changing climate.
  Climate change is real. It is being driven by human activity. It is 
happening right now. These are facts. They are not in dispute. Our 
scientists know it, our businesses know it, the world knows it, and the 
American people know it. But too many Senators on the other side of the 
aisle just put their heads in the sand. It costs us more and more and 
more. We are not going to leave these people high and dry, but if we 
would do more on climate change, we would have fewer of these 
hurricanes and other types of storms.
  Everyone knows that, except a few. Why? Why don't they admit the 
truth? Maybe there are two words that explain it: oil industry.
  Just this week the U.N. released a report on climate change, saying 
that the world has only a short time--maybe a little more than a 
decade--to get a handle on carbon emissions. So far, the current 
administration has done nothing but move the issue backward. It is 
amazing that we, the leading country that is supposed to be the moral 
force--the economic, political, and military leader--are the ones who 
pull out of the Paris climate accords, and then the administration has 
been repealing environmental protection after protection.
  So while we are thinking about the people of Florida, Georgia, South 
Carolina, and North Carolina and everyone in Hurricane Michael's path, 
let's remember we are running out of time to do something about climate 
change. The kinds of storms we are seeing now will only increase if 
this body continues to keep its head in the sand ostrichlike and ignore 
the scientific realities.

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